The aim of this research is to discuss the similarities and differences of second home development based on retirement migration which has been a phenomenon of Southern European countries, in Turkey as a recently developing process.

Abstract

Recent developments in globalization and communication and transportation technologies have internationalized the property market and accelerated retirement migration towards Mediterranean countries. In Turkey with the government policies facilitating property ownership process for the foreigners, retirement migration has led to a second wave of second-home development especially in coastal areas. Thus social, economic and physical structures of coastal settlements have been effected by a second home pressure based on foreign retirement migration in addition to the second home development directed towards inner demand. Although the process of retirement migration is a current phenomenon in Turkey, as it develops very fast without control, problems in these areas become deeper.

Researches in Dalyan and Alanya prove the fact that second home development based on foreign retirement migration accelerates urban sprawl, increases densities, leads to the opening up of agricultural and forest lands and olive yards to settlement, purifies agricultural facilities in rural areas. Additionally, it displaces local population from property market by increasing land rent and thus rises speculative expectations. On the other hand, local governments have been facing with the problem of inefficient local resources and urban services as a result of the rising gap between winter and summer populations.

At the other end of the spectrum in social life this process threats urban identity, leads to social segregation and polarization and with increasing numbers of foreigners in population the immigrants become active citizens in every aspect of urban life although they are not included in the local social life.